excoriating

verb

Definition of excoriatingnext
present participle of excoriate
1
as in attacking
to criticize harshly and usually publicly the mayor had hardly been in office for a month before she was being excoriated for problems of very long standing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritating
to make sore by continued rubbing the manacles had badly excoriated the prisoner's wrists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for excoriating
  1. attacking
  2. irritating
  3. slamming
  4. scratching
  5. scraping
  6. criticizing
Verb
  • The moves sparked a wave of opprobrium from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which accused Israel of attacking Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
  • It was inspired by the Central Park Five, the name given to the Black and Latino teen-agers who in 1989 were wrongly accused of attacking and raping a white woman in Central Park.
    Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • Humans must remain in the loop, and treating human interaction like a premium service is a quick route to irritating many customers.
    Todd Fisher, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • This 2023 Best of Beauty winner contains a retinol alternative duo that firms and smoothes the look of fine lines and wrinkles without irritating the skin or being to harsh.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 30 Nov. 2024
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • The cabinets themselves all come with soft-close doors with magnets, so owners don’t have to worry about them slamming or accidentally opening while hitting bumps on the road.
    Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Hurricane Beryl became the first Category 4 hurricane on record to form in the month of June, slamming into the island of Carriacou in Grenada.
    ISABELLA O’MALLEY AND MARY KATHERINE WILDEMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Definition of slamming
Verb
  • And that's just scratching the surface.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
  • To his credit, Richardson owned his mistake after scratching Hall without first talking to the veteran.
    Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of scratching
Verb
  • To remove tree sap stains, start by scraping off as much residue as possible using a dull knife.
    Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Givens opened the door and jumped out, rolling onto the street, badly scraping her arms, legs and stomach.
    John Diedrich, Journal Sentinel, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of scraping
Verb
  • Making it in Russia while criticizing Vladimir Putin?
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
  • The words echo Delay, Deny, Defend, the title of a 2010 book criticizing the insurance industry.
    Andrea Marks, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of criticizing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near excoriating

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“Excoriating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excoriating. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on excoriating

Nglish: Translation of excoriating for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of excoriating for Arabic Speakers

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